Jose Raul Capablanca

Jose Raul Capablanca y Graupera was the third World Chess Champion and one of the greatest players of all time. He was born in Havana, Cuba on November 19, 1888. His father was a Spanish military officer. Like many of the game's greatest players, Jose Capablanca was a chess prodigy. He learned chess at the age of four simply by watching his father and his friends play casual games. As legend would have it, the young Capablanca pointed out an illegal move his father made. Embarrassed by his son and doubting the four year old even knew how to play chess, Jose's father challenged him to a game, looking to make a quick example. The young Jose beat his father in both the first game and the subsequent rematch. The young Capablanca was taken to the Havana Chess Club where he frequently played. By the age of 13 he already established himself as the best player in the entire country after defeating the Cuban Champion, Juan Corzo.

In 1905, Jose Capablanca was accepted into Columbia University. Although only 16 years old when he arrived at Columbia, the multi-talented Capablanca even played Shortstop on the Freshman baseball team. It was at that time that Capablanca began frequenting the Manhattan Chess Club. There his chess abilities would flourish, as it was the gathering place of some of the world's greatest players, like U.S. Champion Frank Marshall and World Champion Emanuel Lasker. Capablanca soon established himself as the club's strongest regular member. He displayed a special ability for rapid-chess and was easily the best blitz-player in the world even at that time. Capablanca was perhaps more than any other player in history "a natural". He seldom studied chess, yet moved quickly and flawlessly. He would soon leave his studies at Columbia to pursue chess full time.

Capablanca gave hundreds of simultaneous exhibitions leading to a nationwide tour of the United States in 1909. He would play 602 games in 27 cities scoring a winning percentage of 96.4%. Capablanca would go on to play a match vs. then U.S. champion Frank Marshall. The match would result in a crushing victory for Capablanca with a final score of 8 wins, 1 loss and 14 draws. Capablanca began to garner international interest. While many masters opposed his "un-earned" participation, Capablanca played in the San Sebastian Tournament of 1911 at the urging of Frank Marshall. San Sebastian was one of the strongest tournament fields ever assembled. Capablanca would quiet all of the naysayers by winning first place in the tournament. He scored victories against Aaron Nimzowitch, Rudolf Spielman and David Janowski.

Beginning in 1911, Capablanca would repeatedly offer challenges to World Champion Emanuel Lasker. Due to constant disagreement over tournament conditions and stipulations, the two would not play for the championship until 1921. In the meantime, Capablanca continued to play and consistently win, if not finish among the leaders in strong international tournaments. He was afforded this luxury, because he was appointed a job in the Cuban foreign office, a goodwill ambassador of sorts. With his expenses paid, Capablanca had time to focus on chess. Well travelled, young and handsome, Capablanca soon became a chess celebrity. Capablanca eventually played Emanuel Lasker for the World Championship in Havana, Cuba. The match was played in March-April 1921; after 14 games Lasker would concede the match after 4 losses and 10 draws. Perhaps an even more amazing feat was that Capablanca did not lose a single game in any tournament play from 1916-1924, an accomplishment which has never been duplicated. This earned him the nickname the "chess machine". He had an air of invincibility among his peers.

In 1927, Capablanca was heavily favored against Russian, Alexander Alekhine in their World Championship match held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Perhaps the Cuban underestimated his equally brilliant opponent. Alekhine had been diligently dissecting Capa's games and was in top physical condition, while Capablanca had little preparation. What would ensue would be one of the greatest chess battles of all time, a "clash of the chess titans". After 34 games Alekhine won the title with 6 wins, 3 losses and 25 draws. Capablanca continued to compete and perform well in tournaments and sought a rematch for the crown, which he was never granted. Discouraged by his inability to secure a rematch verse Alekhine, Capablanca withdrew from competitive chess in 1931. He would make a triumphant return some 3 years later, reasserting himself as one of the game's greatest players.

Capablanca died on March 7, 1942 after suffering a massive heart attack while at the Manhattan chess Club. He was given a public funeral in Havana and today he is recognized as one of the greatest players of all time. His positional style was fluid and straightforward, and he had the ability to make victory look easy. He was perhaps most renowned for his fantastic endgame technique. His games continue to inspire chess enthusiasts all over the world, and he has achieved legendary status.

Some famous Capablanca quotes:
"Chess is something more of a game. It is an intellectual diversion which has certain artistic qualities and many scientific elements."

"The best way to learn endgames as well as openings is from the games of the masters."

On Capablanca:
"Capablanca was snatched too early from the chess world. With his death we have lost a great chess genius, the likes of who we will never see again." – Alexander Alekhine

"The ideal in chess can only be a collective image, but in my opinion it is Capablanca who most closely approaches this." – Anatoly Karpov

London 1922 is important for all these reasons, but it also served as the setting for the creation of the famous 'London Rules' which would for years govern the way in which prospective challengers to the title would have the right to play the champion. As an added bonus, all fourteen games of the 1921 Capablanca-Lasker title match - with annotations by Capa himself - have been added to this new 21st-century edition.

He was a child prodigy and he is surrounded by legends. In his best times he was considered to be unbeatable and by many he was reckoned to be the greatest chess talent of all time: Jose Raul Capablanca, born 1888 in Havana. At the age of 13 he became Cuban champion; in 1909 he sensationally defeated Marshall by 8:1 and was thus catapulted into the world elite. It was only after some time, since only sparse amounts of information made it across the pond, that in 1911 Capablanca achieved well-deserved recognition by leaving the elite of world chess trailing in his wake in San Sebastian. It would however take another 10 years before the Cuban defeated the reigning world champion Emanuel Lasker in their match and wore the crown himself.

Brought together for the first time in one volume are three books by the titan of chess, José Capablanca. One of the greatest chess prodigies of all time, he evolved the most perfect chess technique seen on a chessboard. A former World champion, and one of the most successful tournament players in the history of the game, Capablanca's uncanny position judgment empowered him to produce games that were masterful pieces of position play, and that culminated often in combinations of startling brilliancy.

The Big Book of World Chess Championships 46 Title Fights - From Steinitz to Carlsen

Catalog Code: B0169NIC

German chess journalist Andre Schulz tells the stories and the history of the World Chess Championship fights in fascinating detail: the historical and social backgrounds, the prize money and the rules, the seconds and other helpers, and the psychological wars on and off the board.

Last Lectures is, as the name suggests, a series of lectures given over the radio by former World Chess Champion José Raúl Capablanca just a few months before he died. While he was preparing these lectures, he dictated them to his wife, Olga Capablanca, who typed them. As a result, we have them today. Perhaps more than any other player in the history of chess, Jose Raoul Capablanca was noted for his ability to cut through the complexities of modern chess theory and find the winning line in grandmaster tournament play.

This is the most complete and thorough biography of José Raúl Capablanca, one of the greatest players in the history of chess. Beginning with his family background, birth, childhood and introduction to the game in Cuba, it examines his life and play as a young man; follows his evolution as a player and rise to prominence, first as challenger and then world champion; his loss of the title to Alekhine and his efforts to recapture the championship in the last years of his too-short life.

Capablanca's Hundred Best Games of Chess Chosen and Annotated by Golembek

Catalog Code: B0298IS

In this volume Harry Golombek, the distinguished chess correspondent of the times and one of Great Britain's leading players, has bought together Capablanca's Hundred Best Games. These will provide the expert as well as the beginner with a new insight into the master's extraordinary grasp of the game's fundamental strategic principles, the brilliance of his tactical development. Golombek's clearly written notes highlight the games most crucial phases and provide the reader with many interesting clues as to possible variations.

He was a child prodigy and he is surrounded by legends. In his best times he was considered to be unbeatable and by many he was reckoned to be the greatest chess talent of all time: Jose Raul Capablanca, born 1888 in Havana. At the age of 13 he became Cuban champion; in 1909 he sensationally defeated Marshall by 8:1 and was thus catapulted into the world elite. It was only after some time, since only sparse amounts of information made it across the pond, that in 1911 Capablanca achieved well-deserved recognition by leaving the elite of world chess trailing in his wake in San Sebastian. It would however take another 10 years before the Cuban defeated the reigning world champion Emanuel Lasker in their match and wore the crown himself.

This is the biography of Jose R. Capablanca, famous grandmaster of Chess, with 113 of his greatest games.
The fame of the great Cuban Master Chess champion of the world from 1921 to 1927, is ample assurance that this superbly annotated collection of his choicest masterpieces is destined to take its place at once amongst the classics of Chess literature.
The book contains many games which have hitherto not been available in book form. The qualities of simplicity and artistry for which Capablanca was famous for in his lifetime will be appreciated by every reader, whether he studies the games for the sheer pleasure of it, of for the purpose of increasing his playing strength.

The battle for the World Chess Championship has witnessed numerous titanic struggles which have engaged the interest not only of chess enthusiasts but also of the public at large. The chessboard is the ultimate mental battleground and the world champions themselves are supreme intellectual gladiators. These magnificent compilations of chess form the basis of the first two parts of Garry Kasparov's work on the history of the World Chess Championship.

This is a reprint of the original "Chess Fundamentals" by Capablanca, as first published in 1921 and only a preface added by Capablanca in 1934. The reader here can feel confident that this reprint contains the exact, complete words of Capablanca. Unlike other reprints, not one word has been changed or omitted.

Jose Raul Capablanca is a chess legend, world champion and quite simply one of the greatest players in the history of the game. His achievements and seemingly effortless style of play won many admirers, and his legacy includes a treasure of instructive games. Studying Capablanca's play is a must for any aspiring chess player. For Cyrus Lakdawala, it was a key factor in his chess development and improvement, and in this book he revisits many of his favourite Capablanca games.

This is a reprint of the original "Chess Fundamentals" by Capablanca, as first published in 1921 and only a preface added by Capablanca in 1934. The reader here can feel confident that this reprint contains the exact, complete words of Capablanca. Unlike other reprints, not one word has been changed or omitted.

London 1922 is important for all these reasons, but it also served as the setting for the creation of the famous 'London Rules' which would for years govern the way in which prospective challengers to the title would have the right to play the champion. As an added bonus, all fourteen games of the 1921 Capablanca-Lasker title match - with annotations by Capa himself - have been added to this new 21st-century edition.

This is the masterpiece by World Chess Champion Jose Raul Capablanca who is regarded as the strongest chess player who ever lived, prior to the arrival of Bobby Fischer.World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik regarded Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals as the best chess book ever written.